Sitio Serra do Boné (30kg Klabin) - Brazil

Fazenda Serra do Boné was inherited by Carlos Sérgio Sanglard from his father, Antônio Carlos Sanglard, in 1988. Today ‘Sérgio’, as he is widely known, has expanded the farm’s area under coffee from seven hectares to its current 87 hectares of Red and Yellow Catuai.

The topographic and micro-climatic conditions of the location offer an ideal environment for producing excellent quality coffee, which is apparent in the farm’s multiple COE wins since 2003. Annual average rainfall reaches 1,500mm (60 inches) and average annual temperature is 15°C (59°F). The dark red soil is highly fertile. Weeds are managed by manual weeding and clearing and these are then allowed to decompose naturally on the ground to allow their nutrients to be reabsorbed into the soil. No herbicides are used.

The farm takes great care to preserve the environment. The owner maintains over 100 hectares of native rain forests. Coffee is grown at 1,200 to 1,500 metres in rocky slope terrain with gusty winds and dense-rich soil which is why this coffee is named, “Serra do Bone” (Saw Tooth in Portuguese).  

Processing

To manage the farm, Sérgio employees 9 individuals year-round, all of whom are registered according to Brazilian labour laws. An additional 21 workers operate under a partnership system.

All coffee on the farm is picked manually – necessary, in part, because of the region’s hilly topography but also due to Sérgio’s commitment to generating employment for local residents. After the beans are picked, they are floated to separate underweight and damaged beans.

Sitio Serra do Boné produces both pulped natural and natural lots. This lot is a fully natural lot that has been carefully dried on raised beds. After being sorted and washed, the ripe cherries are delivered to screen lined beds and are regularly turned until they reach the ideal humidity of 11%. They are then stored in parchment in burlap bags and then are finally moved to wooden silos to rest. After 60 to 70 days, they are processed at the dry mill to remove the parchment. The coffee finally undergoes electronic processing to further screen out defects and discoloured beans.

Quality

Sérgio is, of course, highly concerned with quality. To this end, the farm uses only certified and healthy nursery trees for renovation activities, all of which are genetically adapted and tested for the region. He oversees all aspects of planting to ensure that each seedling gets an optimal start in life.

Selective harvesting of ripe beans, the use of good quality water to wash the beans, good handling of drying procedures and sufficient resting time in pergamino are among the basic factors to maintain the quality and characteristics of coffees produced in Fazenda Serra do Boné.

Serra do Boné uses an organic approach in its farming practices, which Mr. Sanglard believes is good not only for the land, but also for the health of his colleagues and the people drinking his coffee.

The farm is dedicated to producing specialty coffee and ensures attention in lot separation, washing, pulping and drying on raised beds. The special care and attention paid to coffee production on this farm has led to numerous awards, including winning spots in Cup of Excellence competitions (1st place in 2003). Recently, Serra do Boné placed 2nd at Cup of Excellence in 2010.

Sanglard is possibly one of the most talented coffee farmers in Brazil.